The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the association and analysis of biological and biochemical data acquired from a variety of sources.
The proliferation of biological and biochemical tools has led to substantial increases in the amount of information available about biological and biochemical systems, though it may be difficult to associate the myriad types and sources of information together in a meaningful manner. As a result, information may be available that is difficult to parse in isolation but which is also difficult to easily associate with related information that would yield insight when analyzed in combination.
It is now possible to acquire expression data for both proteins and nucleic acid sequences for both patients and populations, as well as sequence data for both proteins and nucleic acid sites. In addition, cellular level data and images can be acquired. However, each of these different types of information are typically acquired using different types of processes and/or systems, and thus may not be readily combinable or associated. Thus, despite the extent of this information that can be obtained and existing knowledge of the associated regulatory pathways, it may still be difficult to fully exploit the extent of the information that may be available.
By way of example, even with a full array of conventional data acquisition and analysis tool, deciphering deregulated pathways and biological states in complex diseases in an individual or a population may remain challenging. For instance, there are over 20,000 protein-encoding genes in the human genome. Most signaling and metabolic pathways involve 100's if not 1,000's of essential genes, RNA and protein molecules in specific molecular states (e.g. phosphorylation, binding) and cellular compartments (nucleus, cytosol, plasma membrane). The large number of molecule types, their concentrations in different cells and sub-cellular compartments, and the dynamics of biological processes are just some of the challenges faced in associating and analyzing available biological and biochemical data.